Episode 16: Lisa Dent - MASS MoCA

by Erick Ramos-Jacobo 

Episode host Erick Ramos-Jacobo is a senior at MCLA. In this episode of Thinking Like a Region, Erick interviews Lisa Dent, Director of Public Programs at MASS MoCA. The two discuss Dent's multidisciplinary career and the influence her career as a curator, designer, art critic, and more has had in supporting her new leadership position. 

“I am a black woman who loves to sing in order to feel heard, and I'm so happy when I'm able to be in community with others.”

“I think the skills that I bring to MASS MoCA are the fact that I have had a multidisciplinary life.”

This episode focuses on the creative capacities of project management/development, self-advocacy, and public speaking learned from theatre-making and close-looking, interpretation and critical thinking taught by museums. 

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://bit.ly/TLAR-LDMM

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission in Pittsfield, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Leslie Appleget and Lisa Donovan.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

Lisa has been in the field for close to 30 years, bringing enthusiasm, humor and heart to her work everyday. This has included her creative practice as well as collaborations and management of larger, artistic projects. She has owned and managed departments of small, mid-size, and large organizations through the lens of inclusion, equity, and anti-oppression. Her background includes work in the visual arts, publishing, theater, and film, making her one of the few professionals deeply engaged with artists and colleagues across multiple genres. Lisa received her BFA from Howard University, her MFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and completed the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program in curatorial studies. She has served on several juries and committees and is currently a board member of Triple Canopy.

Erick Ramos-Jacobo is an immigrant educator, curator, and social practitioner born in Zacatecas, Mexico. Renowned Brazilian Pop artist and Parque Lage professor, Bruno Miguel, noted him as “One of the most promising young curators” (Defining Moments, MASS MoCA, 2022). He's recognized for his work in the arts, particularly in collaboration with organizations like MASS MoCA, Barrington Stage Company, Assets 4 Artists at MASS MoCA, and Madison MoCA. Erick has had the privilege of working alongside curator and educator Dr. Laura Thompson on exhibitions and educational programs featuring notable artists such as Bruno Miguel, Shaun Leonardo, Anne Samat, and Federico Uribe. His passion lies in leveraging the power of the arts to build healthier, more vibrant, and equitable communities for immigrant individuals, with a special focus on museums as a starting point. Erick’s curatorial work and educational development are currently on view at MASS MoCA and his newest collaboration, Metamorphosis|Metamorfosis, will open September 2023 at Madison MoCA.